The tragic felling of the 300-year-old Sycamore Gap next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland sparked fury across the country.
A teenage boy who was arrested was released on bail as millions mourned the loss of the tree, which featured in 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and was one of the most photographed trees in the world.
Sycamore Gap joins a huge list of loved and significant trees which have been cut down throughout history.
In 1892, the famous General Noble Tree – a giant sequoia standing in California – was felled so it could be displayed at the Chicago World Fair.
In 1964, the Prometheus tree – the oldest known non-clonal organism – was cut down by a blundering researcher in Nevada.
And in March this year, Plymouth council triggered a furious backlash when they felled 110 trees in the city centre in the dead of night.
The 110 trees felled by council, Plymouth
In March, Conservative-run Plymouth City Council sparked fury when they cut down 110 trees in the middle of the night
In March, Conservative-run Plymouth City Council sparked fury when they cut down 110 trees in the middle of the night.
The project was part of a £12.7million redevelopment scheme, with the council citing a need to create a ‘business-friendly’ centre in the port city in Devon.
Protesters turned out to oppose the felling as it was happening and were able to secure a court injunction which ordered the council to stop the project.
However, by the time the judgement came in, only 12 trees were left standing.
The felling was blasted by environmental campaigners including Springwatch presenter Chris Packham.
The project was part of a £12.7million redevelopment scheme, with the council citing a need to create a create a ‘business-friendly’ centre in the port city in Devon
The 62-year-old said on Twitter: ‘What the actual? Plymouth County Council what is the matter with you? What do you not understand? Despicable vandalism.’
When the felling began, the assistant chief executive of the council insisted: ‘We need to get on with this scheme. We’ve listened, we have made more environmental improvements and have added more trees but our core priority has to be creating a smart, business-friendly, attractive city centre.
‘We cannot lose sight of why we wanted this scheme to happen in the first place.
‘We know some people will not be happy with this but we hope that the majority of our residents will appreciate that we have done all we can to address people’s concerns.’
Labour MP Luke Pollard said: ‘Appalled Plymouth’s Conservative council are chopping down one hundred trees in the city centre right now under the cover of darkness. They have not listened to local people.
‘We are in a climate emergency and their actions are nothing short of environmental vandalism.’
Protesters turned out to oppose the felling as it was happening and were able to secure a court injunction which ordered the council to stop the project
The General Noble Tree, California
When it was felled in 1892, the General Noble Tree – which had stood in the mountains in the Converse Basin Grove in California – was among the biggest in the world.
Standing at around 300ft and with a circumference of nearly 100ft, the giant sequoia was a monumental feat of nature.
When it was felled in 1892, the General Noble Tree – which had stood in the mountains in the Converse Basin Grove in California – was among the biggest in the world. Above: The felling crew link arms around the base of the tree, demonstrating how big it was
Standing at around 300ft and with a circumference of nearly 100ft, the giant sequoia was a monumental feat of nature
The ancient tree, which was named after Civil War general John Willock Noble – was cut down so a section of it could be displayed at the Chicago World Fair in the same year.
The process of felling it was very costly and involved a large crew of men armed with saws.
It was hollowed out and cut into more than 40 sections before the pieces of the tree were carried down the mountain by teams of mules pulling custom-built wagons.
The sections were then moved by train from Chicago to California. The entire process was captured on camera.
Visitors to the fair in Chicago were able to step inside the tree via a doorway that had been cut into its trunk.
The ancient tree, which was named after Civil War general John Willock Noble – was cut down so a section of it could be displayed at the Chicago World Fair in the same year. Above: The crew after felling the enormous tree
The moment the tree came down after a costly operation
It was hollowed out and cut into more than 40 sections before the pieces of the tree were carried down the mountain by teams of mules pulling custom-built wagons
After the fair, the General Noble was shipped to Washington and given a roof so it could become a tourist attraction.
After nearly four decades, its decay had made it unsafe and so the remains were turned into a storage shed.
The tree was then moved again to Arlington Farms, Virginia, where the US government’s defence headquarters – the Pentagon – were built in 1943.
There is no known record of what happened to the remains of the tree after that point.
Visitors to the fair in Chicago were able to step inside the tree via a doorway that had been cut into its trunk
After the fair, the General Noble was shipped to Washington and given a roof so it could become a tourist attraction
The Prometheus Tree, Nevada
In 1964, a graduate student working at the United States Forest Service felled what turned out to be the world’s oldest organism.
Named Prometheus after the figure from Greek mythology who stole fire from the gods and gave it to man, the tree – on the Wheeler Peak mountain in Nevada – was nearly 5,000 years old.
The bristlecone pine was cut down by Donald Rusk Currey, who went on to become a professor of geography.
In 1964, a graduate student working at the United States Forest Service felled what turned out to be the world’s oldest organism. Named Prometheus after the figure from Greek mythology who stole fire from the gods and gave it to man, the tree – on Wheeler Peak mountain in Nevada – was nearly 5,000 years old. Above: The stump of the tree
He was known for the rest of his life as the man who controversially felled the world’s oldest tree.
Curry had cut down Prometheus to carry out research into the very old trees, but was unaware at the time of its status as the world’s oldest organism.
The researcher had been given permission to take a sample from the trunk but the tool he was using jammed in the wood and so he cut the tree down to get the object back.
When he then counted the rings in the felled trunk, he realised his incredible mistake.
The remains of the tree still lie on Wheeler Peak.
The bristlecone pine was cut down by Donald Rusk Currey, who went on to become a professor of geography. Above: The grove where Prometheus once grew
One of Britain’s first ever giant redwood trees – Swansea
In 2018, blundering developers chopped down one of Britain’s first ever giant redwoods.
The 90ft-high tree was planted in 1842 – around ten years before redwood seeds are credited with being brought to Britain from the US.
It was planted at the Penllergare Estate in Swansea by nature-lover John Dillwyn Llewelyn, a keen botanist who imported trees from all over the world.
It was chopped down ‘by mistake’ by building firm Enzo’s Homes, which was building 80 houses at the site.
In 2018, blundering developers chopped down one of Britain’s first ever giant redwoods
The 90ft-high tree was planted in 1842 – around ten years before redwood seeds are credited with being brought to Britain from the US
Protected oaks – Cator Park, south-east London
In June this year, more than 130 protected oak trees were cut down in Cator Park, Beckenham.
Angry conservationists branded the destruction a ‘tree massacre’ and tied black ribbons to railings around the field.
The trees were felled despite the fact they were covered by a Tree Protection Order (TPO), which had only come into force three days earlier.
The first the local residents knew of the destruction was when they heard the sound of chainsaws coming from woodland next to Cator Park, which is popular with dog walkers and bird watchers.
Workmen felled more than 130 protected trees in a field next to Cator Park in Beckenham, south-east London
The trees were felled last Saturday morning despite them being covered by a Tree Protection Order (TPO), which only came into force three days earlier
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